Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw

Critic

Whatever Croshaw is, the 25-year-old Aussie has become one of the videogame world’s biggest celebrities in less than a year. His series “Zero Punctuation,” in which he critiques the latest games with fast-talking sardonic wit and crude animations, went from a YouTube experiment last summer to the centerpiece of gaming site the Escapist, where it’s believed to garner several million views per month.

“It was like the world beating a path to my door,” Croshaw says of the experience.

As much of a humorous romp as “Zero Punctuation” is, its popularity may be even more attributable to the fact that it’s a radically different approach to game reviews.

“I think of myself as more analytical, more like a critic than a reviewer,” Croshaw says. “And I think that’s the only way game design will ever be taken seriously as an art form.”